Guide and wash-down shoe for well casings



May 17, 1938. R. c. BAKER GUIDE AND WASH -DOWN SHOE FOR WELL GASINGS Filed July 19, 1937 l7 REUBEN C BA K52 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 17, 1938 UNl'lED STATES GUIDE AND WASH-DOWN SHOE FOR WELL CASINGS Reuben G. Baker, Coalinga, Califi, assignor to Baker Oil Tools, 1110.,

Huntington Park, Calif a corporation of California Application July 19, 1937, Serial No. 154,454

5 Claims.

This invention relates to casing deep oil wells and particularly pertains to an improved guide and wash-down shoe for well casings.

In running in a well casing into a deep oil well bore it is necessary to guide the lower end of the casing past obstructions to prevent it from hanging up. When bridges are encountered in the bore it is necessary to create a washing action at the lower end of the well casing to wash the same 10 out. This is accomplished by pumping a washing fluid downwardly through the lower end of the casing. Also, it is sometimes advisable to pump a washing fluid downwardly through the lower end of the casing and thence upwardly around the casing to wash out the annular space between the casing and bore to clean out this space for the reception of later placed cement. This insures that a perfect cement seal between the casing and the wall of the bore will be efiected.

It is the principal object of my present invention to provide an improved guide and wash down shoe for well casings, by means of which the above described operations may be efiiciently performed.

The invention is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a View in central vertical section through a device embodying the preferred form an of my invention and disclosing the same connected to the lower end of a string of well casing.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the device with the casing shoe removed to more clearly disclose the construction of the cementitious plug in the casing shoe.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a View in central vertical section and partly in elevation of a second embodiment of my invention.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, H3 indicates a well casing and II a cylindrical member, which in this instance is illustrated as a casing shoe which may be threaded or 45 otherwise attached to the lower end of the casing I prior to the time that the same is run in the well bore.

Cast Within the shoe and securely anchored thereto is a cementitious plug l2. It will be seen that the plug I2 is anchored to the shoe II by means of anchoring grooves I4 formed in the interior surface of the shoe H. The lower end of the cementitious plug [2 projects from the lower end of the casing shoe II, and at the point that it emerges from the shoe it is of the same diameter as the exterior diameter of the shoe so that no projecting shoulder will occur. From this point the plug is tapered or rounded downwardly and inwardly so as to form a guide end l5 at the lower end of the casing shoe ll. This guideshaped lower end l5 aids in guiding the lower end of the casing past obstructions in the bore or in the casing within whichthe present casing is to be run through.

Formed longitudinally through the plug I2 on its axis is a fluid conducting passageway l6 which is common in guide shoes of this type to enable fluid to be pumped downwardly through the lower end of the casing, and likewise to enable cement to be ejected from the lower end of the casing under pressure during the cementing operation.

In addition to the fluidc'onducting passageway I6, I have provided, in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, a plurality of fluid conducting passageways H. In the present instance I have shown three of these passageways spaced equal distances apart about the periphery of the plug l2, which passageways are formed in the plug closely adjacent to the outer circumference thereof, and they extend from the upper end of the .plug l2 through the lower end thereof.

In Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, I have shown the fluid conducting passageways I! as being helical so that the washing or other fluid discharged downwardly therethrough will take a swirling course so as to properly distribute the fluid pumped downwardly therethrough about the casing. This not only creates an efficient washing action but likewise creates a very efficient cementing action.

In Fig. 4, I have shown the passageways I1 as being parallel to the axis of the plug and extending from the upper end of the plug through the lower end thereof at the inner periphery of the shoe II. It is obvious that these passageways likewise evenly distribute the fluid about the casing, and being closely adjacent to the outer periphery of the casing make for a better washconnected to the lower end of a string of well casing, a cementitious plug cast in said member and securely anchored thereto, said plug having a plurality of eccentrically positioned passageways spaced apart circumferentially of the plug and located closely adjacent to the outer circumference of the plug and extending from the upper end thereof through the lower end thereof.

2. A device of the character described including a hollow cylindrical member adapted to be connected to the lower end of a string of well casing, a cementitious plug cast in said member and securely anchored thereto, said plug having a plurality of eccentrically positioned passageways spaced apart circumferentially of the plug and located closely adjacent to the outer circumference of the plug and extending from the upper end thereof through the lower end thereof, said passageways following a helical path from the upper end to the lower end of the plug so as to create a swirling action of fluid ejected from the lower end thereof.

3. A device of the character described including a hollow cylindrical member adapted to be connected to the lower end of a string of well casing, a cementitious plug cast therein and anchored thereto, said plug having a rounded lower guide end extending below the end of the cylindrical member for guiding purposes, said plug having a plurality of fluid conducting passageways extending from its upper through its lower end, said passageways being spaced apart circumferentially of the plug and located closely contiguous to the outer circumference thereof.

4. A device of the character described including a hollow cylindrical member adapted to be connected to the lower end of a string of well casing, a cementitious plug cast therein and anchored thereto, said plug having a rounded lower guide end extending below the end of the cylindrical member for guiding purposes, said plug having a plurality of fluid conducting passageways extending from its upper through its lower end, said passageways being spaced apart circumferentially of the plug and located closely contiguous to the outer circumference thereof, said passageways following a helical path from the upper through the lower end of the plug to create a swirling action of the fluid as it emerges from the lower end thereof.

5. A device of the character described including a hollow cylindrical member adapted to be connected to the lower end of a string of well casing, a cementitious plug cast therein and anchored thereto, said plug having a rounded lower guide end extending below the end of the cylindrical member for guiding purposes, said plug having a plurality of fluid conducting passageways extending from its upper through its lower end, said passageways being spaced apart circumferentially of the plug and located closely contiguous to the outer circumference thereof, said passageways being formed in a straight line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plug.

REUBEN C. BAKER. 

